Glenmore's Deadly Toll: Why Calgary's Roads Are Getting More Perilous and Costly
Calgarians are saying safety on our roads is more crucial than ever. With December spotlighting impaired driving, it's a reminder to plan ahead and keep our community safe.
The Bleak Reality on Our Busiest Arteries
Another life was senselessly lost on a major Calgary roadway this week, adding a grim tally to what has been a devastating year for traffic fatalities. On Tuesday evening, December 16, 2025, a man in his 40s was killed on Glenmore Trail S.E. near the Blackfoot Trail S.E. interchange. Driving a 2011 Mitsubishi RVR, he struck a Jeep Wrangler before veering into a concrete median, rolling over, and coming to rest on its roof. Calgary Police Service (CPS) investigators believe speed and alcohol impairment were critical factors, and the driver was reportedly not wearing a seatbelt. This tragic incident marks Calgary's 36th fatal collision in 2025 – a staggering number – and the sixth suspected to involve impairment.
The Steep Price Calgarians Pay
Beyond the immediate, heartbreaking loss, this crash on one of the city's main veins, Glenmore Trail, reverberates through the daily lives and wallets of every Calgarian. Commuters felt the pinch with significant traffic delays across southeast Calgary during a busy evening. But the cost runs far deeper. When such preventable tragedies occur, *everyone's* insurance premiums creep upwards. Drivers with a DUI conviction in Alberta can see their rates skyrocket by 50% to 100%, sometimes even tripling, branding them as high-risk for years. The deployment of police, fire, and EMS to these scenes isn't free; it's funded by our tax dollars. In fact, a single fatal collision like this one carries an average societal cost of nearly $6.7 million in Calgary, considering everything from emergency response and medical care to lost productivity, legal fees, and the immeasurable impact of pain and suffering.
A City's Campaign Against Needless Death
This latest fatality hits particularly hard as December is specifically highlighted in the Alberta Traffic Safety Calendar for its focus on impaired driving awareness. The Calgary Police Service, alongside the City, has been battling a near-record year for road deaths, actively campaigning with the "Join the Drive to Zero" initiative. Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward of the CPS Traffic Unit has repeatedly stressed that every impaired driving collision is preventable, underscoring the real people and shattered families behind the statistics. Enhanced checkstops and enforcement are in full swing, yet the numbers continue to climb.
When Enforcement Hits a Budgetary Speed Bump
But can the city truly reverse this alarming trend when its own enforcement capabilities are under strain? The Calgary Police Service is currently navigating a substantial $28-million revenue shortfall for 2025. This deficit is a direct consequence of new provincial regulations limiting the use of photo radar, a funding stream that previously offset significant policing costs. Critics, including CPS Chief Mark Neufeld, have voiced legitimate concerns that this budget cut will force the Service to "cut muscle," potentially impacting their ability to maintain high levels of traffic enforcement – the very proactive measures needed to deter impaired and speeding drivers. It creates a difficult paradox: the community demands safer roads, but the resources to achieve that safety are being curtailed, leaving us to wonder about the balance between individual responsibility and systemic capacity.
The Unsettling Question for Our City
The Glenmore Trail tragedy is more than just another statistic; it's a flashing red light on Calgary's road safety challenges. As the count of fatal collisions mounts, placing immense emotional and financial burdens on our city, we must ask: Are our current strategies enough? Or will Calgary need to fundamentally rethink its approach to traffic enforcement and funding to ensure every resident, every family, makes it home safely at the end of the day?
